The Message to the Church in Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22

Laodicea, located on the banks of the Lycos river, was a banking and financial center. It
was at the crossroads of a major road between Sardis and Perga and another road between
Ephesus and Mesopotamia. It also had a large clothing operation. The sheep in the area were
noted for their soft, violet-black, glossy wool. It also had a famous medical center noted for its
treatments of the eyes and ears.

It was a wealthy city. When an earthquake destroyed parts of the city in 61 A. D., it
refused aid from Rome and used its own resources to rebuild. "One of the most famous cities of
Asia, Laodicea, was in the same year overthrown by an earthquake and without any relief from us
recovered itself by its own resources" [Tacitus, Annals, 14:27].

It was a popular retirement area for the wealthy. Because these people had retired, they
concluded they had served their purpose and had reached their goal. As a result, they were
indifferent to social issues. One historian, Ramsay, describes Laodicea as a city of no extremes;
a city that had no peculiar characteristics unless this lack of character was its character.

The water supply for the city came from hot mineral springs about five miles from the
city. The warm, sulphur water was nauseating to the taste and smell. Laodicea had aqueducts and
pipes to carry the water into the city. Remains of the old pipes show heavy mineral deposits.

Paul mention writing to the church in Colossians 4:16. The letter to Philemon is that
letter. "An inscription erected by a freed slave from Laodicea was dedicated to Marcus Sestius
Philemon. It will be recalled that a Philemon who owned the slave Onesimus (Philem. 10) was a
leader in the church of Colossae [should be Laodicea - jwh]. We cannot identify this Philemon
with the slaveholder to whom Paul wrote, but the coincidence of the inscription from the same
area is intriguing, especially since it refers to the manumission of a slave." [John McRay,
Archaeology and the New Testament, p. 247].

The Letter

Jesus emphasizes his final authority. He is the Amen (II Corinthians 1:20). The word
“amen” transliterates a Hebrew word that means firm or steadfast. We use it at the end of prayers
to mean “so be it;” that is, the things we have prayed for are firmly desired. When “amen” was
used at the start of sentences, it is translated as “verily” or “truly.”

He is also the faithful and true witness (Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 42:5). Jesus accurately
knows what is occurring (John 8:14). The description emphasizes his firm position in contrast to
Laodicea’s attempts to take no position.

Jesus is also the beginning of the creation of God. The phrase is not in the passive tense,
which would say that Jesus was the first created. The phrase is in the active, meaning Jesus
started the creation (John 1:1-3, 10; Colossians 1:15-19).

There are no praises for Laodicea. Even Sardis had a few had remained faithful despite all
of the problems in that congregation. There is nothing praiseworthy about Laodicea.

Their works are like their water supply – it is neither hot or cold. They were not on fire
for Christ. There was no fervency or zeal (Acts 18:25; Acts 12:11). But neither were they dead
cold. They were much like Israel’s attempt to stand between two positions (I Kings 18:21; II
Kings 17:41; Matthew 6:24).

Jesus would prefer an extreme. In an honest stance at either extreme, there is something
to be done with them. Being on fire for Christ would be the best position, but why would being
dead be better than lukewarm? An unsaved person can be brought to the Gospel, but people who
go only part way never make a commitment. Jesus finds this disgusting, like a mouthful of
lukewarm mineral water.

The root cause of the problem can be found in society’s influence on the church. The
Christians in Laodicea had become rich and that lead to a belief that they were self-sufficient
(Deuteronomy 31:20; 32:15). It is easy to think that the rich are better off, but the wealthy lose
their trust in God (Psalms 73:3-18). How easy it is for people to think that when things are going
well financially that they must be right with God (Hosea 12:8). Instead we need a humble attitude
that a lack of wealth forces on people (James 4:6-10).

To correct the problem, Jesus urges the church to make some spiritual purchases from
him (Isaiah 55:1):

Buy gold refined by fire

The Messiah was described as a refiner of precious metals
(Malachi 3:1-3). Refining involves heating metals so the impurities come to the surface
where they can be removed. For Christians, the refining fire are the trials that we face (I
Peter 1:6-7). Jesus is stating that the Christians in Laodicea will have to come out of their
comfortable shells and do things that might get the ungodly mad at them. Jesus is also
stating that they need to be focusing on spiritual wealth instead of physical wealth. Right
now they were lacking in spiritual wealth. We need to face our trials in order to improve
(Hebrews 12:5-14).

Buy white garments

Laodicea was known for their glossy black garments, but these
Christians needed something very different. White garments are a symbol of
righteousness (Revelation 19:8). In other words, they need to cover themselves with good
deeds. Right now they had so little they were spiritually walking around naked.

Buy eye salve

The Christians were not seeing things as they truly were. Laodicea may be
the place to buy physical eye salve, but it was doing nothing for their spiritual problems
(II Corinthians 4:17-18). Without practice, we tend to lose what we have gained
(Hebrews 5:11-14). Peter listed numerous virtues Christians need to grow in and warns
that without grow we become blind (II Peter 1:8-9).

As bad as the church in Laodicea is, Jesus does want them to return to him. He likens it to
him standing at the door knocking, calling for them to open up to him. Those who do, is offered
close fellowship with their Savior (II Corinthians 6:15-18). Those who overcome will sit with
him and the Father on their throne (II Timothy 2:12). Remember that Paul told us that Christians
will be judging the world and angels (I Corinthians 6:2-3).

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